The answer is DynamoDB global tables, which are the correct solution for multi-region disaster recovery with an RPO under one minute and RTO under five minutes. Global tables provide active-active replication across AWS regions, automatically synchronizing data with sub-second latency, so if one region fails, you can immediately redirect traffic to another region and continue reading and writing without data loss. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of native DynamoDB replication features versus slower recovery methods like on-demand backups or point-in-time recovery, which can take hours to restore. A common trap is choosing cross-region Lambda-based replication, but that introduces custom code and potential latency spikes, failing the strict RPO requirement. Remember the key distinction: global tables are designed for continuous, automated replication, while backups are for archival, not rapid failover. For the exam, think “global tables = sub-second sync, no restore needed.”
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A data engineer is designing a multi-region disaster recovery plan for an Amazon DynamoDB table. The table stores critical user profile data and must have a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of less than 1 minute and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of less than 5 minutes. Which solution meets these requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use DynamoDB global tables to replicate data to another region.
DynamoDB global tables provide multi-region active-active replication with sub-second replication latency, meeting RPO < 1 minute and RTO < 5 minutes (by failing over to another region). Option A is wrong because on-demand backup and restore can take hours to restore. Option B is wrong because point-in-time recovery (PITR) restores to a new table, which can take minutes to hours. Option D is wrong because cross-region replication using Lambda is custom and may have higher latency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure DynamoDB Streams and a Lambda function to replicate data to another region.
Why it's wrong here
Custom replication may introduce latency and complexity, not meeting RPO/RTO as reliably.
✗
Use DynamoDB on-demand backup and restore to another region.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from backup can take longer than 5 minutes.
✓
Use DynamoDB global tables to replicate data to another region.
Why this is correct
Global tables provide near-real-time replication and fast failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable point-in-time recovery (PITR) and restore to another region.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring to a new table takes time, exceeding RTO.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use DynamoDB global tables to replicate data to another region. — DynamoDB global tables provide multi-region active-active replication with sub-second replication latency, meeting RPO < 1 minute and RTO < 5 minutes (by failing over to another region). Option A is wrong because on-demand backup and restore can take hours to restore. Option B is wrong because point-in-time recovery (PITR) restores to a new table, which can take minutes to hours. Option D is wrong because cross-region replication using Lambda is custom and may have higher latency.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A data engineer is designing a multi-Region disaster recovery solution for an Amazon DynamoDB table. The table must be available in a secondary Region with minimal data loss and automatic failover. Which feature should be used?
hard
A.DynamoDB on-demand backup and restore in the secondary Region
✓ B.DynamoDB global tables
C.DynamoDB point-in-time recovery (PITR)
D.DynamoDB cross-Region snapshot export to S3
Why B: DynamoDB global tables provide a fully managed, multi-Region, multi-active database solution that replicates data automatically across selected AWS Regions. This ensures automatic failover with eventual consistency and minimal data loss, meeting the disaster recovery requirements for high availability and automatic failover without manual intervention.
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.